Harry caught the snitch and the stands erupted in an ear-splitting applause. I cheered loudly and flew toward Harry as the rest of the Gryffindor team did.

I was beaming. I was happy for the first time in days. I was genuinely happy for the first time since Harry and I walked in on Dean eating my sister's face. For the first time in days, I had forgotten all about my previous anger about-

Hermione.

Until now that is.

Unfortunately, Hermione walked into the changing room right as Harry and I were nearly done changing.

I felt my ears turn red as she walked into the room. She looked awkwardly at me, and then switched her gaze to Harry's direction.

"You shouldn't have done it. You heard Slughorn, it's illegal." She said pointedly, her eyes narrowed in a silent scold.

I started defiantly at her. "What are you going to do, turn us in?"

Harry always has my back, unlike you, Hermione.

"What are you two talking about?" Harry said casually. I caught him trying to hide a smirk.

Harry explained how he had faked putting the potion into my juice that morning. I felt my expression turning into a smug grin.

I turned on Hermione and imitated her voice more high pitched and nasally than it actually is, trying to upset her. "You added Felix Felicis to Ron's juice this morning, that's why he saved everything! See! I can save goals without help, Hermione!"

Hermione started to retort, but I was so pissed off and secretly hurt that I forced myself to leave the Quidditch pitch while I still had my dignity. As I walked up to Gryffindor tower, I thought of the git Krum and wondered why I was ever his fan to begin with.

I recited the password for the Fat Lady and when the portrait hole swung open I was greeted with music and whoops of excitement and the lingering scent of delicious snacks. I began to stomp my way over to the food, still irritated with Hermione, but I noticed someone walking, no more like prancing, toward me. I turned and saw Lavender Brown nearly skipping toward me, her girlish springy blond curls bouncing. She smiled at me.

"Congratulations, Ron, that was absolutely fantastic!" As if she even knows how the game of Quidditch is played. She probably wasn't even paying attention and only realized I saved the goals when our fellow classmates started to cheer.

I was about to thank her and dismiss her when I saw Hermione stomp through the portrait hole, with a scowl on her face.

And I had a sudden inspiration.

I would show her that I didn't need her; that I could kiss other people just as easily as she could.

I waited until Hermione's eyes found mine and then I turned back to Lavender and pulled her into a deep and hungry kiss. Luckily, Lavender responded passionately. While I kissed Lavender, I reflected on the taste of her lip gloss. It tasted bitter and slimy. Yuck. Against my will, I found myself imagining Hermione nestled in my embrace instead, and how her warm, soft, sweet, unglossed lips would taste.

And that longing for perfection made me not enjoy Lavender's kiss. But I forced myself to persist, hoping that I would wound Hermione one fraction of the amount of hurt she had bestowed upon me by snogging Viktor Krum.

But there was no possibility that she felt the way for me that I did for her. I loved her. Sure, she was a pain in the ass most of the time, but I had loved her for years and probably always would. But to her, I would forever be only a best friend.

She had only asked me to accompany her to Slughorn's party as a friend, not as a date. Well I would show her that she did not need to take me. I could find someone to actually date.

I broke the kiss then for air and glanced quickly around the room. No Hermione, to my disappointment. She had probably been bored and perhaps went upstairs to the dormitory to fetch one of her books. Out of the corner of my eye I registered Harry exiting the portrait hole and vaguely wondered where he was going. I also saw Ginny across the common room with her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows at me. I grinned at her and went back to snogging Lavender.

After a couple more seconds, we resurfaced once more and I looked down at Lavender.

"Fancy a walk around the castle, just the two of us?" she giggled.

"Err…"

"Common, Won Won, it will be fun. We can find an empty classroom and continue what we started." She trailed off suggestively.

I stared longingly at the food. Lavender understood.

"Well eat something quickly then, and then we will go." She looked impatient.

I walked over to the food and grabbed a pumpkin pasty and ate it in one bite. Then I allowed Lavender to take my hand and guide me to the portrait hole, all the while keeping up a high pitched giggle.

Why not have a little fun?

After we left the common room, I took the lead enthusiastically, opening the door to the nearest empty classroom.

But it wasn't empty.

There were two people already in here.

There sat my two best friends, that is to say my best mate and the love of my life, on the teacher's desk. They were huddled together in a private conversation that I was not a part of.

"Oh," I said, surprised and a little hurt. They were spending time together without me?

Harry made eye contact with me, but this was not normal eye contact.

He was giving me a death glare, clearly angry with me.

He was also incredulous, like he was appalled that I had the nerve to walk into this room. What was his problem?

Hermione hid her face from me, turning it toward Harry instead.

"Oops!" Lavender exclaimed as she clumsily backed out of the room, brushing up against me as she did. She was clearly under the impression that we had walked in on something.

But I knew better. I knew that there was nothing more than brotherly-sisterly love between Harry and Hermione.

At least that is what I thought. I wondered if there actually was something intimate between them, which would hurt me far worse than Hermione being with Krum. I pushed this unpleasant thought out of my head.

I stared at my best friends; probably the tensest atmosphere the three of us had ever shared alone together.

"Hi, Harry! Wondered where you'd got to!" I said to fill the silence. I was swinging my arms back and forth awkwardly. Harry rewarded me with narrowed eyes.

For the first time, Hermione looked at me. Her face was distorted with anger, but beautiful all the same. She slowly got off the desk and glided toward me.

"You shouldn't leave Lavender waiting," she said with venom in her voice. "She'll wonder where you've gone."

I was about to retort but thought better of it, as she was already in such a bad mood. She was not looking at me anymore but walking towards the door.

Good. She was leaving, and now I would be able to ask Harry what that was all about.

I turned to him, but then I heard Hermione shout.

"Oppugno!" She screamed and all of the sudden there were a dozen tiny canaries pelting my body. I started to yell.

"Get 'em off me!" I shouted, but I think it came out as a slur.

I bolted out of the room to escape the birds and I saw Hermione running back to the common room, her face in her hands.

Lavender however was waiting for me expectantly. When she saw the birds fly away and noticed the growing welts on my skin though, her expression changed to horror.

"Won Won, what happened? Did Hermione do that to you? What a bitch!"

I was about to defend Hermione but then I remembered that we were in a huge fight and Hermione had in fact set these birds on me. As mad as I was at her for that, I could not help but admire her magical skill.

She truly was incredible.

And I was not good enough for her. I would never be good enough for her. She would always have a famous Quidditch player or The Chosen One that she wanted more than me.

So I let Lavender take my hand once again and lead me into an evening castle stroll.